Schloss Mannsberg

Burg Mannsberg stands above a wooded valley in Kärnten at 691 metres. The medieval hilltop fortress commands the southern ridge of a mountain spur near the village of Mannsberg. About two hundred metres away, on a lower spur, the ruins of a smaller castle can be seen. The older ruin, Altmannsberg, was built on a rocky outcrop in the same period. Both sites overlook the same densely forested valley below. The castle first appears in records between 1065 and 1075 when Adalbero gave it to Brixen’s bishop. Over the centuries it passed through many noble families, from the Schrankbaums to the counts of Cilli and finally the Khevenhüllers. In 1627 it was sold to Gurk cathedral chapter and has remained in private hands since 1874. The main buildings still show the medieval core, with later Renaissance and Baroque additions. Visitors walk through a polygonal main castle ringed by high walls and a four-storey palace built in the 14th century. A three-storey gate tower leads to a courtyard and a deep well. On the west side a Renaissance wing with arcades opens onto the inner court. Inside, late-baroque stucco ceilings and painted beams recall the Khevenhüller era. Below, the smaller ruin has thick walls and narrow arrow slits, its four-storey keep still rising above the forest.